ST. GEORGE — Youth will be able to “get to know their home” starting on Saturday as the St. George Children’s Museum will be opening its long-awaited desert exhibit, museum board chairman Kurt Ivie said.
The Desert Discovery Room will have its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 11 starting at 10 a.m. and going until 1 p.m.
The room will have displays and workstations giving youth an experience in learning the science of the desert environment, including animal life, plant life, water conservation and astronomy.
The new room just finished construction, and the event will feature local naturalists, conservationists and outdoor adventurers to help answer questions from youth and educate residents on the displays within the Desert Discovery Room exhibit.
“I am pleased to invite everyone to the grand opening of the Desert Discovery Room,” museum executive director Sonya Darter said. “This room has been created to excite visitors’ minds and hearts.”
The two of the biggest displays for the new exhibit will be the Silver Reef Mine and the Night Sky. The Silver Reef Mine is named after the local mining ghost town that became a booming town shortly after silver was discovered in sandstone by John Kemple in 1866, a rare occurrence. The Harrisburg Mining District was named Pride of the West Ledge and Kemple Company in 1874, the Bureau of Land Management said in a summary of the history of the area.
It is now a museum and tourist attraction featuring local history and folklore.
The display which Ivie was most excited to display was the Night Sky. The room is wired with lights that map the desert night sky with all the star constellations that are visible within the darkened heavens of the local area, including the Big Dipper and Orion, among others.
“The kids will love this one,” Ivie said during a personal tour with St. George News.
The display has many local landmarks within the room. Besides the grand opening of the room, there will be several other events going on during the opening celebration.
One will be a reptile show where Leaping Lizards will show off and educate youth with desert wildlife. Other entertainment will include outdoor enthusiasts telling incredible stories that took place within the local environment.
“It is just exciting how much this exhibit and everything going on here will help our youth,” Ivie said. “After all, anything to help our youth.”
Members will got a sneak peek preview on Friday night. The exhibit’s main sponsors are George S. and Delores Doré Eccles Foundation, Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, Sorenson Legacy Foundation, Dr. W. C. Swanson Family Foundation and Miner Foundation.
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